Why are big hits "lost?"

[michael hagerty]

Very true. Jim Ladd, Mitch Reed, and Mary Turner on 94.7 The Mighty Met are not going anywhere near that song.

The vast majority of "worst songs" never were played on album rock. I mean, there are some, but "Honey", "Having My Baby", "You Light Up My Life"---those listeners were on an island.

When my son got married ( this is in the past 10 years), his Italian mother-in-law asked the DJ to play "That's Amore" by Dean Martin as the first waltz. Ewww ! That is a song from my parents' generation -- and I'm a boomer. It is not even relevant. But that's what the mother of the bride wanted, and that's what she got. The DJ actually had that song. Wow, that's corny.

"That's Amore" got a second wind by its inclusion in the Cher/Nicholas Cage movie "Moonstruck" (1987) and with the mini-Rat Pack revival that followed in the 90s, it never really went away again.

 

[michael hagerty]

Was just at a work event at a karaoke joint recently. Someone picked this song and damned if the entire place didn’t sing along loudly.

They walk among us. There are a surprising number of normal-seeming people that really should just fess up and wear these:

 

[michael hagerty]

The vast majority of "worst songs" never were played on album rock. I mean, there are some, but "Honey", "Having My Baby", "You Light Up My Life"---those listeners were on an island.



"That's Amore" got a second wind by its inclusion in the Cher/Nicholas Cage movie "Moonstruck" (1987) and with the mini-Rat Pack revival that followed in the 90s, it never really went away again.

And son of a gun...from a wedding site, two years ago:

The 40 Best Love Songs of All Time, Hands Down

 

[Mikey Radio]

I was the DJ at a wedding reception whereby people requested “Friends In Low Places”. Yes-open bar.

They walk among us. There are a surprising number of normal-seeming people that really should just fess up and wear these:

We could probably host an entire new discussion thread to list out inappropriate and/or odd song requests. One of my friends is a an organist. Back in the late 80s, someone requested that she play "House of the Rising Sun" as one of the preludes in church before their wedding. They liked the melody. She declined. They seemed to have no idea what the song actually meant. Keep in mind this was when the Catholic Church and other denominations were banning the use of popular wedding music like Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" and Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" because of the context they played and/or the plays/operas they were written for.

I was once at Karaoke where a man sang "Delilah" by Tom Jones, and dedicated it to his girlfriend of the same name. That song, of course, is about a guy who catches his girlfriend cheating on him and he stabs her to death.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

The vast majority of "worst songs" never were played on album rock. I mean, there are some, but "Honey", "Having My Baby", "You Light Up My Life"---those listeners were on an island.



"That's Amore" got a second wind by its inclusion in the Cher/Nicholas Cage movie "Moonstruck" (1987) and with the mini-Rat Pack revival that followed in the 90s, it never really went away again.

That's right ! I forgot about "Moonstruck" and the 90's revival. I bet that's where the mother-in-law got that idea to request that song.

 

[Deleted User]

Did they also have spittoons with every table at the reception?

I DJ'd a wedding way back when where the B&G wanted to exit the reception to Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers....

The last wedding I DJ'd was my own, mixed everything on my PC using Adobe Audition, burnt them onto CD's, used my 5 disc changer, my best amp and I borrowed speakers from a friend....

It actually worked out very well.... cocktail hour music,dinner music, stuff everyone could dance to, some good old Irish tunes mixed in, some Elvis, and about 75 minutes before we had to be out I went into full blown turn it up to 11 and rock it mode...driving the older guests out so we had an hour of good old fashioned fun... and it was open bar.

 

[michael hagerty]

I have been to a non-zero number of weddings (Three? Four?) where the DJ played “Every Breath You Take” to a positively oblivious bride and groom, as well as any number of love songs that are actually lost love songs.

Amazing…..

 

[Kent]

We could probably host an entire new discussion thread to list out inappropriate and/or odd song requests. One of my friends is a an organist. Back in the late 80s, someone requested that she play "House of the Rising Sun" as one of the preludes in church before their wedding. They liked the melody. She declined. They seemed to have no idea what the song actually meant. Keep in mind this was when the Catholic Church and other denominations were banning the use of popular wedding music like Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" and Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" because of the context they played and/or the plays/operas they were written for.

I once saw a church commercial with the song “Take Me to Church” by Hozier playing in the background. I figured the church had never paid attention to the song as it’s definitely not about going to church. It’s actually about swinging.

I was once at Karaoke where a man sang "Delilah" by Tom Jones, and dedicated it to his girlfriend of the same name. That song, of course, is about a guy who catches his girlfriend cheating on him and he stabs her to death.

I worked at a station that sacked its nighttime jock and replaced her with Delilah. When it started running a tease for Delilah, it played the Tom Jones song in the background. I had the same thought that promoting a love songs show with that theme was a bad idea, even if the name was the same!

 

[tall_guy1]

Im guessing "love songs" as a whole dont age particularly well over the long term with a few exceptions.

 

[davideduardo]

Im guessing "love songs" as a whole dont age particularly well over the long term with a few exceptions.

Syrupy and inane ones do not. But those that have a bit of character do.

REO Speedwagon's Keep on Loving You has or had a much longer life cycle than You Light Up My Life.

 

[CTListener]

Syrupy and inane ones do not. But those that have a bit of character do.

REO Speedwagon's Keep on Loving You has or had a much longer life cycle than You Light Up My Life.

But that's rock vs. pop. As we've seen, old rock songs are generally outlasting old pop songs across the board, regardless of topic.

A better contrast to the Boone hit that hasn't held up would be I Will Always Love You, which is practically a standard already.

 

[Saladressing]

I DJ'd a wedding way back when where the B&G wanted to exit the reception to Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers....

The last wedding I DJ'd was my own, mixed everything on my PC using Adobe Audition, burnt them onto CD's, used my 5 disc changer, my best amp and I borrowed speakers from a friend....

It actually worked out very well.... cocktail hour music,dinner music, stuff everyone could dance to, some good old Irish tunes mixed in, some Elvis, and about 75 minutes before we had to be out I went into full blown turn it up to 11 and rock it mode...driving the older guests out so we had an hour of good old fashioned fun... and it was open bar.

This sounds awesome. You "dayparted" your wedding playlist!

 

[davideduardo]

But that's rock vs. pop. As we've seen, old rock songs are generally outlasting old pop songs across the board, regardless of topic.

That was a ballad, irrespective of the genre, played extensively by CHR stations in that era.

A better contrast to the Boone hit that hasn't held up would be I Will Always Love You, which is practically a standard already.

But there are ballads in practically every genre, from rock to country to regional Mexican to R&B. My point is that some have lasting strength and others do not. the original post tried to claim that ballads don't endure or "pass the test of time" and my point is that many do, while those that have certain qualities do not.

 

[michael hagerty]

The last wedding I DJ'd was my own, mixed everything on my PC using Adobe Audition, burnt them onto CD's, used my 5 disc changer, my best amp and I borrowed speakers from a friend....

Very cool! I did the same thing, but based on your mention of CDs, maybe more recently (we married in 2016), using an amp and speakers my wife owned and my cellphone, with four playlists I created on Spotify.

The wedding was in our backyard, so the first playlist (about 20 minutes) played from the time the first car pulled up out front until the ceremony. The second (which led off with "This Will Be" for the walk back up the aisle was about an hour to run through dinner). The third was our first dance and the fourth was a dance party.

 

[vchimpanzee]

"That's Amore" by Dean Martin as the first waltz. Ewww ! That is a song from my parents' generation -- and I'm a boomer. It is not even relevant.

Still good.

But that's what the mother of the bride wanted, and that's what she got. The DJ actually had that song. Wow, that's corny.
If couples want a sentimental oldies love song for the first waltz, then a great oldie is "My Cup Runneth Over With Love" by Ed Ames. He can really sing, and that's a beautiful arrangement. It blows Debby Boone right out of the water. JMO. -- D.

Great recording. I think WERT still plays it, and WHVN may have during their brief time back on the air before being sold.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I have been to a non-zero number of weddings (Three? Four?) where the DJ played “Every Breath You Take” to a positively oblivious bride and groom, as well as any number of love songs that are actually lost love songs.

Amazing…..

That is actually about a stalker.

 

[Don CT]

I meant, but forgot to address this in my first reply.

In the case of "You Light Up My Life", Warner Bros. started promoting it to smaller market stations. That was a fairly standard practice at the time---get smaller, but not too small, stations on a record in week one and two---use that action to get medium market stations to add it and then, in weeks three and four, start to work the major markets.

Here's the first print ad for "You Light Up My Life" from Warners, in the August 26, 1977 issue of Radio and Records:

View attachment 4173

So, in this case, they've actually got five large market stations that went early on it, and it's doing well for four of them---KRBE and KILT in Houston, and KJR and KING in Seattle. KULF is also in Houston, but all we know is they're playing it.

KJRB was Spokane, KRSP Salt Lake City, KNDE Sacramento, KANC Anchorage, WAIR Greensboro, KILE Galveston, KCBN Reno, KRKE Albuquerque, KPAM Portland, KTAC Tacoma, WLAC Nashville and WGH in Newport News, are also playing it too, with impressive jumps at KRBE and KILE.

So, it's clearly not a regional record.

The next week, September 2, another print ad:

View attachment 4174

Number one in Houston at KRBE, which forces competition KULF to not only add it, but it debuts on their chart at number 3. It's number 4 at KILT. It's going top ten in Seattle.

Third week, September 16, a third print ad:

View attachment 4175

#1, 2 and 3 in Houston, #1 in Galveston, #13 first week in Boston. #6 in Seattle and a ton of new adds.

Week four, September 16. No need for a print ad, it's made the top of the BREAKERS on the back page of Radio and Records:

View attachment 4176

And now they've got KHJ and WLS. Game over.

How many of those calls still exist.

 

[Don CT]

We are from Earth; he is from Uranus.

That must have been a painful birth.

 

[Kelly A]

That must have been a painful birth.

Or hatched?

 

[tbolt909]

That is actually about a stalker.

Another song that people are clueless about is "The One I Love" by R.E.M. The scathing line "A simple prop to occupy my time" should give it away that this is no love song. Michael Stipe has always been amused that it gets played at weddings...